Hague praises Duncan Smith

William Hague has insisted that he has no ambition to reclaim the Conservative leadership in the next few years - though he did not rule out a second turn in the party's top job at some point.

The Richmond MP, who quit the leadership after Labour's second successive landslide victory in 2001, was dismissive of suggestions that he might be the man to give the party's fortunes a major boost.

He argued that his successor Iain Duncan Smith was "doing the right things", and had recorded encouraging results in last week's local elections.

But Mr Duncan Smith came under fierce attack from former Tory Cabinet member David Mellor.

Accusing the Tory leader of being a "sub-Blair creature" who was "devoid of any real personal distinction", the former Heritage Secretary said his disillusionment with the Conservative Party was such that he had allowed his membership to lapse.

Mr Hague was asked on the BBC 1's Breakfast with Frost programme if he was attracted to the idea of a second term as Tory leader.

Last week Crispin Blunt, after quitting his role as shadow trade and industry minister and calling for Mr Duncan Smith to be replaced as leader, said he would welcome Mr Hague's return to the top job.

But Mr Hague told the programme: "I don't think it will be an attractive scenario in a few years' time."

He added: "I mean, ask me what I will be doing in 20 years' time, I don't know, and I won't rule anything out, who knows what will happen in politics decades ahead. But I no more sit there thinking that I want to be leader of the Conservative Party again than I think about being the next person to fly to the moon.

"I have done that, and I have had that experience, and it didn't work out exactly as it was intended to, much as I enjoyed it, and I am not looking to do it again or to come back into the frontline of politics in any form in the next few years. So I think in the context of your question in the next few years, the answer is a categoric no."